The Validation of a School-Based, Culturally Grounded Drug Prevention Curriculum for Rural Hawaiian Youth

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to validate a school-based, culturally grounded drug prevention curriculum for rural Native Hawaiian youth. Faculty and administrators from eight geographically dispersed middle-, intermediate-, or multilevel schools on Hawai'i island were interviewed on the cultural relevance and feasibility of implementation of the curriculum (Ho'ouna Pono). While all participants appreciated the culturally specific content interwoven throughout the curriculum's structure, several of them expressed concerns that the curriculum would compete with resources needed to implement Common Core national standards. Implications for the implementation, adoption, and sustainability of school-based prevention curricula are discussed.

Keywords: Native Hawaiian; community stakeholder analysis; drug prevention; rural; youth.